In 1989, a movie was released that promised to be the ultimate film about the gamer. A movie where Fred Savage and his mentally impaired brother would fight against the powers that be (their parents) to become the video game champions of the world.

Where Nintendo would shamelessly flaunt every product they had, and at the end launch the most anticipated game of the late eighties. Where 10-year-old kids were able to travel across the country alone without ringing any bells. Where the Power Glove was king.

This movie was The Wizard, and I’m here to tell you how much it rocked. Please note, there are spoilers. Awesome spoilers.

With all the latest hype surrounding Project Needlemouse, it’s only fitting that we add a little retro flavor to the mix. Video game ads just aren’t what they used to be; back in the day, it was perfectly logical (and hilarious) to blend one of the biggest sequels with an infomercial.

The end result is a great marketing piece that doesn’t take itself seriously. Not that Sega really needed to make a big push for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 thanks to the success of its predecessor.

Here we go again. I always get a bit teary when it comes to Retro Day, especially on a week when it’s my birthday and I realize that we’ve seen out yet another year of spectacular titles.

But enough of that soppy crap, let’s get stuck into some juicy retro morsels. This week I’ll be taking you back in time to the good old days of FMV, with a game that was – at the time – the most expensive video game ever produced.

So strap yourself in, keep those fidgeting digits away from the eject button, and prepare yourself for a trip back to Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger.

A couple months ago, one Eric Ruth announced that he was working on an NES-style demake of zombie-bustin’ party shooter Left 4 Dead. Usually these home projects get hit with delay after delay, but Mr. Ruth stood by his promise to release the game in January 2010.

This conversion is the freshman entry in the Pixel Force line, a planned series of retro-remakes of modern-day favorites. The goal is to capture the spirit of the originals while pretending the nineties never happened. While Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead only allows two-player co-op instead of four-, all the missions, weapons, and infected are represented albeit in limited-color fashion.

Bringing awkwardness to another level is this week’s Retro Ad. Who would have thought that combining the annoying kid from E.T. with your friendly local pervert could produce such an uncomfortable 30 seconds?

Hit the jump to see how Intellivision marketers dropped the ball on this one.

Comedy in video games, as with all forms of media, is such a finely balanced thing. One man’s comedic gold is another’s tasteless trash. Being consistently funny is something very few can do; those that do manage it are revered forever.

The LucasArts team of the 90s is one such revered developer, churning out one humorous adventure after another. Their hilarious take on the B-movie horror genre is one of the most loved games of the 16-bit genre. With a name like Zombies Ate My Neighbors, how could they possibly fail?

After reviewing Amanita’s flawed masterpiece, Machinarium, not too long ago, I found myself hearkening back to my childhood days, where I constantly immersed myself in point-and-click adventures. Day of the Tentacle is still one of my favorite games of all time, and it will always hold a place as one of the integral titles that moulded me into the gamer that I am today.

The Neverhood may not have had such an immense impact on my younger years, but it certainly struck a chord visually and creatively. Rarely do I come across a point-and-click nowadays where I don’t compare it to Doug TenNapel’s 1996 classic.

If you have never experienced The Neverhood, read on to discover just how much you are missing out on.

If there’s one thing I love, its creative mod-videos. Well, buckle up for one of the most popular level mods of all time (Little Big Planet especially): Contra’s first level.

In my opinion, 3D mods for 2D games put a whole new spin on retro titles: the creator has to interpret everything that isn’t viewable on a 2D plane, as well as figure out a way to incorporate the parent game’s mechanics as seamlessly as possible. Obviously Contra is perfectly suited for a parent game like Half Life 2. If you enjoyed the video, the author, m0rtanius, also has Half-LifeVania and Super Half-Life Bros. for your viewing pleasure. Read more… »

Video gaming has now reached a point where the early (and even the not-so-early) games can be looked back upon with a sense of nostalgia – a longing for the good old days of the Golden Age of Gaming. Pac-Man, Pong, Galaxian, Frogger, Tempest… these games were marching the front lines of innovation in an unestablished, and almost comically different, industry.

Wistful game geeks today have an average age of 29; they recall their early gaming days with a fondness usually reserved for first loves or lost pets. Leave it to game companies to take advantage of our doe-eyed sentimentality by selling us things we’ve already bought.